CM step down? Can or Cannot ?

Senator Datuk Idris Buang

KUCHING: Opposition parties – PKR, DAP and PAS – were yesterday told to urge the chief ministers and Menteris Besar in the Pakatan Rakyat-held states of Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan to resign instead of calling for Sarawak Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to step down.

In his speech when debating the motion of thanks to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong’s address in the Senate in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Senator Datuk Idris Buang said these heads of state cabinets held on the posts through a slim majority of their parties while the state BN headed by Taib was holding 78 per cent of all state seats in Sarawak.

He also compared the degree of mandate Taib received after the April 16 state election to that of the result of the last state elections involving the four Pakatan Rakyat chief ministers.

Idris reiterated that the state BN under the leadership of Taib maintained its two-thirds majority in the legislative assembly.

“DAP, PKR and PAS should have been telling their Pakatan CMs to step down in Selangor, Kedah, Kelatan and Penang simply because they are there on slim majority while our (Sarawak’s) CM is on a strong mandate of 78 per cent of all state seats which is more than two-third majority,” he said.

“It’s a thumping, resounding and honourable victory for our CM,” he said when referring to the April 16 state polls.

Idris said Taib would never allow BN to use hate and malicious campaign tactics like what the Pakatan components had done in the just concluded state election.

“He (Taib) talks about building the country and talks about people who should prosper earnestly and also about moving forward. Compare this to the politics of deception by Pakatan leaders who launched unfair character attacks and hatred like the one launched by Communist terrorists in their psy-war during Sarawak emergency,” said Idris.

While it was true that Pakatan succeeded in urban areas in Sarawak, BN government under Taib did not practise corruption as alleged by the opposition.

The state government had for many consecutive years been top rated with multiple ‘As’ for good governance and financial management by world independent professional bodies, he pointed out.

“Does that not mean anything? As a lawyer I know what is and what is not corruption. Taib is clean. He does not interfere in his family members’ business.

“They have every right to do business on their own merit and business acumen without his interference in this country or outs,” he said.

“CMS for example, is a Bumiputera company that provided jobs and spin offs to thousands of people in the state. They have every right to do business and invest like anyone else,” he said.

Pakatan Rakyat had cleverly played the issue of corruption up and create a perception but which is untrue, he said.